The current reigning NBA champions are looking to make their fan base more inclusive.
The Toronto Raptors say they will start selling hijabs featuring the team’s logo, according to Global News.
Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the Raptors, says the inspiration came from a local Muslim organization called the Hijabi Ballers. The women worked with MLSE to design the Nike Pro hijabs. They also hoop at a community court associated with the team.
“Our goal . . . is to ensure Muslim girls and women feel like they belong on those courts, in the mainstream sports world and restating the idea that sports are for everyone, no matter your beliefs,” Amreen Kadwa, founder of Hijabi Ballers, told the outlet.
MLSE senior marketing director Jerry Ferguson echoed the sentiment.
“One of the things that we are very interested in is moving from saying we are just about inclusivity and accessibility, and finding ways to bring products and ideas to market that actually prove that,” he said.
The move also makes the Raptors the first NBA team in history to sell athletic hijabs for Muslim women.
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